The Abbey Hotel: Bath

With so many dreamy destinations to tick off my bucket list I often forget how many beautiful cities there are right here in the UK. Not wanting to neglect the charming countryside and historic cities of England I decided it was time to visit Bath city! So I packed a bag, booked a train and set off to visit my friend Lauren for a mini-break.

Bath is one of the UK’s loveliest cities. It’s beautifully compact, bursting with history and heritage and postcard pretty! Lauren grew up just outside the city so I was lucky enough to have a tour from a local during my stay. We walked through the cobbled streets, stopped by the Abbey and admired the historical buildings of the city centre.

As I was just visiting for one night we decided to treat ourselves to a stay at The Abbey Hotel. It was the perfect base from which to explore the city as the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and The Holburne museum were all within a short walk. After our stroll we checked in to the hotel and were greeted with a friendly smile by the concierge who offered us a tour of the building. Walking up the winding staircase was a reminder of the hotel’s Georgian architecture; it was lovely to stay somewhere with so much charm and character.

The hotel was converted from an old townhouse so I expected our room to feel a bit stuffy and small but it was quite the opposite. We had plenty of space and the interior was bright, modern and complemented perfectly by the stunning view (which you can see in the photo above). From our window we could see the spires of Bath Abbey, the surrounding boutiques and bars and the river running past the city.

It wouldn’t have been a girl’s weekend without a catch up over cocktails so in the evening we went to ‘Art Bar’ downstairs. The bar was, without a doubt, my favourite part of the hotel. Velvety cushions, jewel toned fabrics, soft leather stools and the most stunning glass installation hanging from the ceiling – it was dreamy to say the least.

Not being one to miss an opportunity to try something new I ordered an Earl Grey Martini and oh my was it delicious! (although it was hard not to get the bits of loose leaf tea stuck to my lipgloss everytime I took a sip but these are the sacrifices we make for an Instagram-worthy cocktail). After we finished our cocktails we enjoyed dinner in the hotel’s restaurant ‘Allium’. Even if you’re not looking for a hotel in Bath I would still recommend stopping by to try the restaurant as the food was delicious. It’s quite pricey so definitely one for foodies or those looking to experience fine dining for a special evening.

When we returned to our room we were delighted to see a bottle of prosecco kindly brought up by the hotel staff. Feeling like this was a sure sign that we should continue our celebrations we chinked our glasses, toasted to our friendship and prepared to go to some of Bath’s best bars. After some drinks, dancing and a tour of both Bath’s history and its nightlife we returned to the Abbey Hotel for bed. The combination of the cocktails and the soft fluffy pillows ensured I had a very good night’s sleep.

In the morning I shook Lauren awake in a flurry of excitement for my favourite meal of the day…breakfast. I ordered a stack of pancakes served with maple syrup and bacon (if you read my hotel reviews often that will not surprise you) and they didn’t disappoint! The Abbey Hotel also make smoothies served in these adorable little milk bottles which I loved.

If you’re travelling to Bath and expecting to be out of the hotel all day and night then maybe The Abbey Hotel is an unnecessary expense for you but if, like me, you enjoy staying somewhere that you can retreat to after a busy day of sightseeing then it’s the perfect place. The unique bar, charming traditional touches and delicious stack of pancakes made my mini-break to Bath extra special.